Scientists discuss feline rehabilitation and reintroduction

27 November 2015

On 25-27 November, Moscow hosted the International Workshop on Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Large Carnivores, sponsored by the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences. The event involved experts from Russia, Spain, India, Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom, China, Portugal and other countries, who discussed current projects and programmes to restore the populations of the Far Eastern leopard, the Amur tiger and other rare species of large mammal predators.

Vyacheslav Rozhnov, head of the Academy’s permanent expedition to study animals listed in the Russian Red Data Book and other endangered animal species, presented the results of projects to restore the populations of the Amur tiger, the Far Eastern leopard and the Asia Minor leopard that are implemented with the support of the Russian Geographical Society. He spoke about the expedition’s comprehensive studies of the Far Eastern leopard, its habitat and planned reintroduction areas, as well as the Centre for the Reintroduction of the Far Eastern Leopard that has been established at the Ussuri Nature Reserve of the Academy’s Far Eastern Department.

Sergei Naidenko, a leading research associate at the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, discussed projects to monitor the hormonal status of felines and to measure stress-hormone levels in Primorye predators, including the Far Eastern leopard and the Amur tiger, and to assess their epidemiological status during reintroduction.

Mikhail Goncharuk, a research associate at the Lazovsky Nature Reserve, due to host the Far Eastern leopard reintroduction programme, delivered a talk about the risk of infectious diseases that may affect leopards at the reserve and in nearby areas.

Jo Cook, coordinator for the Far Eastern leopard European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), listed specific requirements for including various animals in the programme, such as genetic diversity and purebred status, and plans for building a centre for the reintroduction of the Far Eastern Leopard at the Lazovsky Reserve. Representatives of nature conservation organisations that restore rare animal populations also took part in the meeting.